They say having children changes everything. While it's unquestionably a remarkable time in one's life, I can also see how the transition introduces obvious limitations. Suddenly you have dependent beings of life to care for. Responsibility kicks in, compelling you to dedicate a significant portion of your time and attention to the best interests of the little ones. Combine this with the obvious physical and lifestyle limitations that come with age and it seems to me that there are several activities to check off the bucket list before settling down to start a family.
Here's our list of 70 things to do before having children. For us, it's simply about conquering as many life experiences as possible. We're not quite there yet, but we're getting closer.
1. Live in a high rise condo with an amazing view.
2. Take a month long vacation on the opposite side of the world in a city with a completely different culture.
3. Attend the Super Bowl live.
4. Jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
5. Make love in places you aren't supposed to.
6. Swim with the sharks.
7. Scuba-dive to a large ship wreck.
8. Audition to be on TV or in a movie… even if you're just an extra.
9. Throw the house party of all house parties. Supply all the booze and invite everyone you know.
10. Take sexy photos of yourself (keep them somewhere safe).
11. Learn to fly a plane.
12. Become skilled with a musical instrument.
13. Live in southern California for at least a year.
14. Live in the heart of New York City, Chicago, Boston or another major city for at least a year.
15. Spend a few weeks vacationing on the beaches of Kauai with your partner.
16. Surf a Hawaiian wave.
17. Learn to speak a foreign language.
18. Visit the North Pole.
19. Attend The Tonight Show or The Late Show as an audience member.
20. Read at least 30 books.
21. Jump off a cliff into a natural body of water in an exotic location.
22. Go mountain climbing.
23. Go deep sea fishing and learn to filet and cook your own fish.
24. Go horseback riding on the beach with your partner.
25. Drink warm beer out of a barrel in a real Irish pub.
26. Spend a night pub-hopping in London.
27. Stage dive and crowd surf at a rock concert.
28. Take a set amount of money and hit the Blackjack and Craps tables in Las Vegas.
29. Visit a high-end Las Vegas strip club.
30. Embark on a month-long road trip across the country with 3 of your best friends.
31. Ride a camel across a sandy desert.
32. Go white water rafting.
33. Go snowboarding in the Rockies.
34. Get in great shape and enter some kind of fitness competition.
35. Attain a solid understanding of how the government works in your country.
36. Master one particular style of dance.
37. Fall in love.
38. Write a book… even if it's short and never gets published.
39. Drive through a (somewhat safe) portion of a third world country like Mexico or Costa Rica to gain perspective on what true poverty looks like.
40. Go skinny dipping in a large body of water at midnight.
41. Take a shower under a waterfall.
42. Decide on your current life goals and write them down.
43. Spend New Years Eve in Times Square.
44. Go on a blind date (or a couple's dinner date with new friends you hardly know).
45. Sleep on the beach under the stars in Key West.
46. Hit up Oktoberfest in Munich.
47. Hit up Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
48. Hit up Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
49. Experience Spring Break in all its glory in Cancun, Mexico or Panama City Beach, Florida.
50. Catch a ride in a hot air balloon.
51. Rent a fast sports car and speed down the Autobahn.
52. Switch jobs until you find one you truly enjoy.
53. Buy your first house.
54. Own a convertible sports car.
55. Hike the Grand Canyon.
56. Attend a Red Sox vs. Yankees game in Fenway Park.
57. Spend a whole day making love without every leaving the house.
58. Learn to make one mixed cocktail like a pro bartender.
59. Run a marathon.
60. Stand up in front of a large audience and tell a great joke.
61. Shoot a gun.
62. Swim across the English Channel.
63. Bicycle ride down a mountain road.
64. Learn to sail a sailboat.
65. Learn the basics of a martial art.
66. Visit the Amazon Rainforest.
67. Bare all on a nude beach.
68. Master one really cool magic trick.
69. Master a few fancy dinner recipes.
70. Finish up your formal education (but continue learning).
有人說(shuō),有了孩子一切都會(huì)改變。無(wú)疑,這是每個(gè)人一生中最不同尋常的一刻,然而我也看到了這一改變帶來(lái)的生活上的局限。突然間有了另一個(gè)需要依靠你來(lái)照顧。責(zé)任感產(chǎn)生了,使你不得不將大部分時(shí)間和精力貢獻(xiàn)給這小小的生命。將這些與隨著年齡增長(zhǎng)而出現(xiàn)的身體上和生活方式上的限制聯(lián)系起來(lái),于我而言,在建立家庭之前還有一些事情要做。
在此列出了生孩子之前必須要做的70件事。對(duì)我們而言,這僅僅是戰(zhàn)勝許多生活經(jīng)驗(yàn),我們還沒(méi)有達(dá)到,只是努力去接近。
1.居住在視野開(kāi)闊的高層公寓里。
2.在地球的另一端具有異國(guó)風(fēng)情的城市里度假一個(gè)月。
3. 關(guān)注超級(jí)碗轉(zhuǎn)播
4.在飛機(jī)上做一次跳傘
5.在意外之地做愛(ài)。
6.與鯊魚(yú)一起游泳。
7.配帶水中呼吸器潛水到大船殘骸下
8.在一部TV或電影里試音,即使你僅僅是臨時(shí)演員。
9.開(kāi)一次party,備足烈性酒,邀請(qǐng)所有你認(rèn)識(shí)的人。
10.拍攝自己的性感照片(將它們放置在安全的地方)。
11.學(xué)著駕駛飛機(jī)。
12.熟悉一種樂(lè)器。
13.在加利福尼亞南部居住至少1年。
14. 在紐約、芝加哥、波士頓或其他大城市的城中心居住至少1年。
15. 與你的父母在可愛(ài)島海灘度假至少幾個(gè)星期。
16.在夏威夷沖浪
17. 學(xué)習(xí)一門(mén)外語(yǔ)
18.到北極旅行
19.作為一名觀(guān)眾關(guān)注今夜秀或午夜秀。
20. 閱讀至少30本書(shū)。
21.在遙遠(yuǎn)的地方從懸崖上跳到一片天然水域中。
22.去爬山
23.到深海處捕魚(yú)并學(xué)會(huì)烹調(diào)屬于自己的魚(yú)
24.與朋友們一起在海灘上騎馬
25.在真正的愛(ài)爾蘭吧里飲用從桶里流出的熱啤酒
26.在倫敦酒吧里度過(guò)一個(gè)夜晚
27.在搖滾音樂(lè)會(huì)上從舞臺(tái)跳入觀(guān)眾群里并一起擁擠
28.帶上一大筆錢(qián)去玩二十一點(diǎn)并到拉斯維加斯豪賭
29.在拉斯維加斯光顧高擋脫衣舞夜總會(huì)
30.與3個(gè)最好的朋友游遍整個(gè)國(guó)家
31.騎著駱駝穿過(guò)一片沙漠
32.在一片白色水域上泛舟
33.到洛磯山脈滑雪
34.身體健康,參加某個(gè)俱樂(lè)部競(jìng)賽
35.能夠完全了解政府在本國(guó)的工作
36.掌握一種特殊形式的舞蹈
37.談一次戀愛(ài)
38.寫(xiě)一本書(shū),即使很短,也不出版
39.駕車(chē)穿過(guò)(保證安全)第三世界國(guó)家,了解什么是貧窮
40.在午夜將自己浸泡在水中
41.在瀑布中淋浴
42.確定目前的人生目標(biāo),并寫(xiě)下了
43.在時(shí)代廣場(chǎng)上度過(guò)新年前夜
44.與陌生人約會(huì)(或與你幾乎不認(rèn)識(shí)的朋友參加情人晚餐約會(huì))
45.在基韋斯特的星空下睡著沙灘上
46.參加慕尼黑啤酒節(jié)
47.在新奧爾良參加四旬齋前的狂歡節(jié)
48.在里約熱內(nèi)盧參加狂歡節(jié)
49.在坎昆、墨西哥或巴拿馬城市海灘、佛羅里達(dá)得意地感受春天來(lái)臨
50.乘坐一次熱氣球
51.租賃一輛高速跑車(chē)在高速公路上狂奔
52.換個(gè)工作直至找到真正喜歡的
53.買(mǎi)下第一棟房子
54.擁有一輛敞篷跑車(chē)
55.穿越大峽谷
56.在沼澤公園參加紅襪隊(duì)對(duì)洋基隊(duì)的比賽
57.用一整天的時(shí)間不離開(kāi)房間做愛(ài)
58.學(xué)習(xí)調(diào)制一種混合雞尾酒,像一個(gè)優(yōu)秀的調(diào)酒師
59.跑一次馬拉松
60.面對(duì)著一群觀(guān)眾講一個(gè)笑話(huà)
61.開(kāi)一次槍
62.游泳穿越英吉利海峽
63.在盤(pán)山公路上騎自行車(chē)
64.學(xué)習(xí)駕駛帆船
65.學(xué)習(xí)基本的武術(shù)
66.在亞馬遜熱帶雨林旅行
67.在海灘裸體
68.掌握真正的烹飪技巧
69.掌握一些高檔宴會(huì)烹飪技巧
70.完成正式教育(但是一直學(xué)習(xí))